1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of information processing, in which data linkage is established among plural activated applications, and a recording medium readable by a computer, in which information processing programs are recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Regarding conventional information processing for establishing data linkage among plural applications, such as cut and paste, copy and paste, and data link, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-131199 has disclosed information processing for carrying out data linkage by storing plural pieces of data in a data buffer for establishing data linkage among plural applications, and by selecting designated data from among the plural pieces of data.
Conventionally, a clipboard, a kind of common memory, has been used for data exchange among plural applications. When data is selected on an application, and cut or copied, the data is transferred to the clipboard.
Next, an application to which the data is desired to be copied is made active, and pasting is carried out. As a result, the data on the clipboard is copied to the application.
The data having been transferred to the clipboard once remains therein until different data is further transferred to the clipboard. Therefore, pasting can be carried out any number of times.
On the other hand, in the case of the above-mentioned method of using the clipboard, only one piece of data is retained. Therefore, when plural pieces of data are desired to be pasted separately by using this method, cut and paste operations must be carried out over and over again.
To solve this problem, the above-mentioned prior art employs a method of storing data in plural buffers when carrying out cut or copy operation.
However, since plural pieces of text data and image data are stored, the above-mentioned method has a problem of causing a difficulty in understanding at the time of pasting because of different types of data being present on the clipboard.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of information processing, and a recording medium stored with an information processing program, readable by a computer, wherein a clipboard for text data and a clipboard for image data are separately used, whereby even if one type of data (image data for example) is stored frequently on one clipboard, the other type of data (text data for example) is not affected at all because the clipboards are separately used depending on the type of the data, thereby ensuring easy-to-understand simple processing operations.
The invention provides an information processing apparatus capable of carrying out data linkage among a plurality of activated applications, the apparatus comprising:
designating device for designating data desired to be stored on an activated application which is currently in execution;
judging circuit for judging a type of the data designated by the designating device;
storage circuit for storing a plurality of pieces of data by type of data on the basis of a result of the judgment by the judging circuit;
selecting device for selecting a desired data from among the plurality of pieces of data stored in the storage circuit; and
reading circuit for reading the data selected by the selecting device on another activated application desired to be linked.
In accordance with the invention, when data desired to be stored is designated on an activated application, the type of the designated data is judged, and the data is stored on the basis of the type of the data which is obtained as a result of the judgement. Furthermore, when desired data is selected from among stored data, the selected data is read on another activated application which is desired to be linked and different from the activated application which is currently in execution. Therefore, data can be stored by type of data such as text data and image data, whereby different types of data are adversely affected by each other and data can be arranged properly. Usability and operability can thus be improved.
Furthermore, in the invention it is preferable that the storage circuit stores data in the order of storage designated by the designating device.
In accordance with the invention, data is stored in the storage circuit in the designated order. Therefore, stored data can be identified chronologically and can be subject to processing, such as deletion.
Furthermore, an information processing apparatus further comprises deleting circuit for deleting data stored in the storage circuit, in chronological order from the oldest data, when a residual of storage capacity of the storage circuit becomes insufficient.
In accordance with the invention, data is stored in the storage circuit in the designated order. When a residual of storage capacity becomes insufficient, data is deleted in chronological order, that is, the oldest data is deleted first. Therefore, it is possible to reserve an area for storing new data.
The invention further comprises dividing circuit for dividing the data designated by the designating device by type of data when the designated data is judged as including a plurality of pieces of data by the judging circuit,
wherein the storage circuit stores the plurality of pieces of divided data by type of data together with information for synchronization among the data.
In accordance with the invention, when data including both text data and image data is designated for example, the data is divided into text data and image data, and each piece of divided data is stored on the basis of the type of the data together with the information for synchronization among the data. Therefore, processing operation can be carried out simply and speedily.
Furthermore, the invention further comprises deleting circuit for deleting data stored in the storage circuit, the deleting circuit, when specific data is deleted, also deleting a different type of data specified by the synchronization information of the deleted specific data.
In accordance with the invention, when, for example, text data is deleted, image data specified by the synchronization information of the deleted data is also deleted. Therefore, data deletion can be carried out simply and easily.
Furthermore, the invention further comprises deleting circuit for deleting data stored in the storage circuit, the deleting circuit, when specific data is deleted, not deleting a different type of data specified by the synchronization information of the deleted specific data.
In accordance with the invention, when, for example, text data is deleted, image data specified by the synchronization information of the deleted data is not deleted. Therefore, useful data can be reserved.
Furthermore, the invention provides a method of information processing for establishing data linkage among plural activated applications, the method comprising the steps of:
designating data desired to be stored on an activated application which is currently in execution;
judging a type of the data designated at the designating step;
storing a plurality of pieces of data by type of data on the basis of a result of the judgment at the judging step;
selecting a desired data from among the plurality of pieces of data stored at the storing step; and
reading the data selected at the selecting step on another activated application desired to be linked.
According to the invention, the method of information processing is applicable to the information processing apparatus, which can store data by type of data such as text data and image data, whereby different types of data are not adversely affected by each other and data can be arranged, thereby offering higher usability and operability.
Furthermore, the method of information processing further comprises a step of dividing the data designated at the designating step by type of the data when the designated data is judged as including a plurality of pieces of data at the judging step,
wherein the storing step stores a plurality of pieces of divided data by type of data together with information for synchronization among the data.
According to the invention the method of information processing is applicable to the information processing apparatus, wherein when, for example, data including both text data and image data is designated, the data is divided into text data and image data, and each piece of divided data is stored by type of data together with the information for synchronization among the data, whereby processing operation can be carried out simply and speedily.
Furthermore, the invention provides a recording medium stored with an information processing program, readable by a computer, for establishing data linkage among a plurality of activated applications, which recording medium is stored with a program for making a computer execute a method of information processing comprising the steps of:
designating data desired to be stored on an activated application which is currently in execution;
judging a type of the data designated at the designating step;
storing a plurality of pieces of data by type of data in accordance with a judgment result at the judging step;
selecting a desired data from among the plurality of pieces of data stored at the storing step; and
reading the data selected at the selecting step on another activated application desired to be linked.
According to the invention the recording medium readable by a computer stored with a program for making a computer execute a method of information processing wherein data can be stored by type of data such as text data and image data, whereby different types of data are adversely affected by each other, and data can be arranged, thereby offering higher usability and operability.
Furthermore, the invention provides a recording medium, readable by a computer, stored with an information processing programs for establishing data linkage among plural activated applications, the recording medium being stored with a program for making a computer execute a method of information processing comprising the steps of:
designating data desired to be stored on an activated application which is currently in execution;
judging a type of the data designated at the designating step;
dividing the data designated at the designating step by type of the data, when the designated data is judged to include plural pieces of data at the judging step;
storing a plurality of pieces of divided data by type of data together with information for synchronization among the data;
selecting a desired data from among the plurality of pieces of data stored at the storing step; and
reading the data selected at the selecting step on another activated application desired to be linked.
According to the invention the recording medium readable by a computer, stored with a program for making a computer execute a method of information processing wherein, when, for example, data including both text data and image data is designated, the data is divided into text data and image data, and each piece of divided data is stored on the basis of the type of the data together with the information for synchronization among the data, whereby processing operations can be carried out simply and speedily.